Travel Course: Drugs and Alcohol

Getting into the drug habit can get you into big trouble. While some countries won't do anything, or will give you a slap on the wrist if you get caught, others may execute you. If arrested, legal help can be difficult to next to impossible to obtain. Some governments abide by the "innocent until proven guilty" law, while others prefer to assume that suspects are "guilty until proven innocent." If you get accused of dealing with illegal drugs in some way, you could be put away for a long, long time.

Despite the legal repercussions you'll be risking if you engage in drugs, you'll also be dealing with criminals. Drug criminals can be hardcore dudes. These guys don't give one whit about you, just your money. If they can take it from you they will.

Even if you won't have anything to do with drugs you must still be careful. Do not offer to carry packages for other people if you aren't 110% sure of what is inside. Someone may be trying to transport drugs and wants you to take all the risk.

If you can't resist getting high then go to an area or country where it is legal, like Amsterdam. It is best to avoid drugs altogether, but if you're going to do it then make sure you know the laws. In your home town smoking a joint may not be a big deal, but when you're not in Kansas anymore that joint could get you life in prison.

If you have a prescription to uncommon pills you should check with the laws in your travel countries about them. Sometimes pills that are legal in your country are highly illegal in others.

Avoid illegal drugs.

Alcohol

Two of the most dangerous places for travelers are bars and nightclubs. They are also two of the most popular hangouts. These are havens for con-artists, thieves and rapists looking for drunk tourists to take advantage of. They'll buy you drinks, ask you to buy them drinks, hit on you and offer you drugs in attempts to separate you from your money.

Get drunk enough and you might spend your travel fund on drinks and meals for everyone in the bar, or you could end up in a drunken stupor with your cash and plastic stripped from you.

When you get drunk you tend to do things that you normally wouldn't do. Thieves at bars are just waiting for you to get drunk, and they're not ragged and dirty. Usually they come packaged as a gorgeous woman who takes you to your hotel room for sex, and while you're sleeping walks off with your things.

If you're not careful with your drinking you could wake up in the morning stark naked on the street with a crowd of homeless kids pointing fingers and laughing at you.

Besides getting drunk, another danger of drinking are drugs that can be slipped into your drink. These drugs can make you weary, forgetful and they can make you lose willpower.

A guy I know was at a big drinking party with some friends. Once he started getting buzzed he began to drink with strangers whom were very friendly with him and bought most of the drinks. The next thing he remembers is waking up naked on a beach, days away from home. Either he got super drunk, or his new friends slipped a pill in his beer glass.

These drugs are more commonly used on women by men. When the girl isn't looking the guy will slip the drug into her drink. When she starts getting groggy he takes her somewhere and rapes her. Due to the drug's effect, the girl usually won't remember much of anything. She'll remember bits and pieces of the night before, then have a huge gap in memory and wake up the next morning wondering how she arrived at this new location.

These stories are not to discourage you from having a good time. Drink and party if that's what you want to do, just take precautions. Don't get drunk or high unless it is legal and you are with some responsible friends. Don't leave drinks unattended, even just for a quick dance. Make sure that your drinks are watched by you or someone you trust. Don't accept drinks from strangers unless you've seen them open the bottle.